Janet Ashcroft urges women to support Talent's senate bid

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The wife of John Ashcroft returned home Wednesday to help gather female support for Republican Jim Talent in his bid to claim the U.S. Senate seat lost by her husband.

Janet Ashcroft said neither sentiment nor emotion played into her decision to support Talent. Instead, she said it was political -- a desire to see Republicans regain control of the Senate so that President Bush's domestic agenda supporting issues such tax cuts, job creation and homeland security can move forward.

"We have to understand what our most important priorities are in this country," she said. "And the most important priority is getting a Senate that will support the President."

It marked her first public appearance in Springfield since her husband was appointed Attorney General last year. The appointment followed his failed re-election bid in November 2000 for the Senate seat he held for one term.

Democratic Sen. Jean Carnahan was appointed to the seat won by her husband, then-Gov. Mel Carnahan, who was killed in a plane crash three weeks before the election.

The unusual Senate election will determine who serves the remaining four years of the six-year term.

Mrs. Ashcroft's stumping for Talent might reflect what many observers say promises to be a closely fought and watched race.

She spoke before about 450 women -- and a handful of men -- during a luncheon in the White River Room at Bass Pro Shops Outdoor World. The event was aimed at launching the Women for Talent Springfield coalition. Similar events were held earlier this year in Kansas City and St. Louis.

Mrs. Ashcroft peppered her talk with words of praise for her husband, as well. She was a constant presence throughout his grueling confirmation hearing for the job of attorney general.

Mrs. Ashcroft even revealed on national TV that she was once the victim of an attempted rape to demonstrate her husband's "caring sensitivity" after Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., criticized his efforts to make abortion illegal in pregnancies resulting from rape.

Mrs. Ashcroft bristled when asked how she would defend Talent against critics because he shares her husband's view on abortion.

"Well everyone has his own right to an opinion on every issue, so people are welcome to make up their own minds based on whatever issues they want," she said. "However, when you look at the issues which are most important to us today, I don't think that's the most important issue facing us."

Wednesday's event was not a fund-raiser, Talent spokesman Rich Chrismer said. The $20 fee only covered the meal of chicken, fruit, yogurt and Key Lime pie.

Talent said it was a chance for him to connect with women, who represent about 52 percent of the electorate.

In Talent's narrowly lost governor's race in 2000, women showed a slight preference for Democrat Bob Holden, according to a Voter News Service exit poll of voters in November 2000.

"I want to represent their values in the Senate -- the common sense, conservative values of Missouri -- the values of family, faith, duty to country and community," Talent said.

A spokesman for Mrs. Carnahan's campaign said female voters should consider Talent's voting record while he was in Congress.

Wednesday's event was "a pretty transparent attempt by Jim Talent to reinvent himself after spending eight years in Congress voting against the interests of women," said the spokesman, Dan Leistikow. "At the end of the day, people are going to evaluate the candidates on their records, not on who is campaigning for them, but on the positions they have taken.

"Sen. Carnahan is proud to be standing on her own two feet and running on her record," Leistikow said.

Talent has been campaigning for months for his expected contest this November against Mrs. Carnahan. Neither he nor any of those speaking on his behalf during the luncheon mentioned Mrs. Carnahan by name.

While talking with reporters afterward, Talent said he believed Mrs. Carnahan should have supported the conservative Ashcroft for attorney general. Talent said planned to make it a campaign issue.

Mrs. Carnahan has said her vote -- one of her first major decisions in office -- was an "act of conscience" based on the sum of his positions on issues such as abortion and gun control.

"I have to recognize that if I get elected, and I'm around long enough -- I will probably serve under a Democratic President," Talent said. "I will vote to confirm his nominees because I believe he represents the people."

But Talent first must make it through a five-person party primary in August. Mrs. Carnahan faces one Democratic challenger. Two Libertarians also have filed for the seat.

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